At the beginning of March, Unipetrol RPA produced its four millionth tonne of polyethylene. The technology serving the manufacturing of polyethylene has already been in operation for 32 years.The production of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) manufactured under the commercial name of Liten was launched at Litvínov in 1976, using a new technology of gas based polymerisation of ethylene, a so-called Gas Phase Process. Thirteen years later, in 1989, the first million tonnes of HDPE was produced. Currently - thanks to better technologies - it takes less than four years to manufacture one million tonnes of polyethylene.
The production of polyethylene was boosted in 2002, following the launching of the second HDPE unit with a planned annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes. At present, the product portfolio of Unipetrol RPA includes more than 60 types of polyethylene.
In addition to local companies, which purchased approximately a quarter of the entire production last year, polyethylene was processed mainly by manufacturers in the European Union and in the countries of the former Soviet Union.
Polyethylene serves as raw material, for example, for the production of crates, jerrycans, household utensils, sachets, bags, PET bottle seals, toys, ski running surfaces, boards and pressure pipes. Polyethylene is also used in the manufacturing of injected, blown, extruded and pressed products.
Last year, Unipetrol RPA produced its five millionth tonne of propylene and the ten millionth tonne of ethylene.
Unipetrol, a.s. is a group of companies operating in the petrochemical industry in the Czech Republic. In 2005 Unipetrol became part of the PKN ORLEN Group, the largest downstream oil company in Central Europe. Unipetrol primarily focuses on crude oil processing, fuels distribution and petrochemical production.
In all these areas UNIPETROL group is one of leading players in both the Czech and Central European markets. In 2006 UNIPETROL posted revenues amounting to CZK 89 billion and a net profit of CZK 1.2 billion. The Unipetrol group employs approximately 4,000 people.
